At Gateway Church in Austin, we continued our series through the Gospel of Mark by focusing on “The Road Once Traveled.”
How are we willing to pour out our resources, time, and love in worship of Jesus?
A woman anoints Jesus with expensive perfume, pouring it out in a lavish act of devotion, while others criticize her for her waste. Jesus defends her, recognizing her act as one of true worship and preparation for His burial. This week, we’ll reflect on the sacrificial love demonstrated in this act and consider how we, too, are called to offer our best to Jesus, even when it may seem costly.
Digging Deeper:
Work through the following questions and scriptures on your own or get together with your group, spiritual running partners, or family to talk through what you are learning.
Video Message from Gateway North Austin:
Message Notes:
Let me ask you a question: have you ever seen an extravagant display of love or devotion that may have been not well received but the person doing this did not care?
Maybe it was a public wedding proposal that did not turn out like he wanted?
Or a fan going up to a celebrity who was not nearly as excited to be seen as the fan was to see her?
I experienced this in real life 3 years ago.
My daughter was a gap year missionary in Paris. She was an au pair for a family with 3 kids who said they would treat her like family which meant no days off. The children only spoke French. Being an au pair or nanny is hard enough but it is even harder when you don’t speak French or you don’t usually babysit, cook, do dishes, or do laundry. Our daughter felt called to do this and she was persevering through a very difficult experience.
My wife and I flew out to visit her and to check on her and to help her renegotiate with the family or even come home. In the end, she felt called by God to stay. On that trip she asked for advice because there was a young man she met at one of the concerts where she was singing with the church choir. He was obviously very interested in her and wanted to come to Paris to visit her. She asked me what to do, and I suggested to tell him “thank you but no thanks, I am moving back to the USA. There is no need to spend time together.” My wife added: “You should talk to him, but now that you are fluent in French, why don’t you talk to him in French?” Before then, they had a few brief phone conversations in his broken English.
Well, Trevi let him know they could talk one more time. During that conversation they spoke in French and it lasted for 5 hours. They started talking more often, and he came to visit her in Paris before she moved back.
The next thing you know, he came to visit us for 10 days in Austin a month after she returned.
This had taken a very strange turn.
Well, for the next 2 ½ years these two dated across continents and on March 15th they got married in France at the same church where they met.
It’s actually a really amazing story because the night of that concert, Adrien was talking on the phone with One of his friends in Tunisia who said: “Well, I have to go because I need to help my wife.” Then Adrien joked: “Well I am going to a concert to go to meet my wife!”
Now this is not normally how Adrien talks.
During the concert Trevi had a solo and during that solo, Adrien turned to his friends Grace and Daniel saying: “Where is the ring!”
Then at the same church where they met in over 3 years ago, on March 15th, Grace was the ring bearer taking the ring to Daniel who was a groomsmen who then handed Adrien the ring he had designed for my daughter.
So 2 weeks ago, I gave away my daughter to a young man I had encouraged my daughter to dump before they even started dating.
We’ve come to love Adrien, and it’s beautiful knowing how God has led them to each other and to see how their devotion to God has helped them grow to love each other.
None of this would have happened if Trevi had taken my advice and if Adrien wasn’t willing to take a risk regardless of what response he may have gotten.
There are times in life when a person’s devotion to someone seems to be more important than how others might react.
Today we are looking at a moment like that. It was such an extraordinary act of devotion that people all across the world still talk about that moment to this day!
We are in a series called A Road Once Traveled where we are looking at how Jesus intentionally made His way to the cross.
Last week we looked at how Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem on a donkey just as was prophesied the Messiah would do, and there were many people proclaiming Jesus as the One who had come to rescue them! The city was electric as word was traveling that perhaps finally the Messiah had come! They were ready to see Him to destroy the enemy Roman oppressors!
But Jesus does something really strange. For the rest of Mark 11 and in Mark 12-13, Jesus starts to confront the religious leaders rather than the Romans. Jesus clears out the Temple courts as people were ripping off those coming to worship God at the Temple. Jesus is confronted by the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders as they wanted to know under whose authority Jesus was doing all of these things. He was asked to clarify what He believed about certain debated issues such as how we should view the possibility of the resurrection, how to respond to the government authorities, and how to interpret the Law. They were trying to trap him in order to turn the people against him and arrest him. Jesus was too smart for these traps and had clever responses every time. The intensity was ratcheting up even as Jesus told more and more intense parables!
Then in Mark 13, Jesus makes a terrifying and bold prediction. He warns His disciples that the Temple would be destroyed. This very thing happened within 40 years of the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus.
In the Bible, prophecies are very interesting. Some prophecies are about something right around the corner and some are about the end of all things as they are now and the beginning of the new heavens and new earth where God’s Kingdom fully comes to earth as Jesus taught us to pray to our Heavenly Father in the Lords Prayer: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)
Mark 13 seems to be one of those moments when a prophecy has something to say about what’s coming soon and what’s coming at the end of the world as we know it and it’s all in the same passage.
If you’ve been reading along through the Gospel of Mark you may have been curious about the end of the world as prophesied in Mark 13. For the Jews at that time, it was the end of the world as they knew it as Rome destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in A.D. 70.
Now Jesus’ prophecy about the Temple is a very important part of this story. Many point out how after Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of humanity the ability for the Jewish people to make sacrifices at the temple ceased within a generation and has yet to restart for almost 2000 years.
In addition we need to remember that the Temple is the place where God’s space connects with human space. We see this theme throughout the story of the Bible.
We see God’s presence with humanity…
- In Eden (Genesis 1-2) “Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame… Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day… ”- Genesis 2:25, 3:8 NIV
- In the tabernacle in the wilderness (Exodus-Ruth) – Exodus 40:34-38
- In the Temple (1 Kings – Malachi) – “When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled his temple.”- 1 Kings 8:10-11 NIV
- In Jesus (The Gospels) – Jesus is the true temple where God’s presence dwells fully (John 2:19-21). – Colossians 1:13-20
- In the Body of Christ (Acts – present day) Even our bodies are described as a temple of the Holy Spirit.1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (We are not only representing Jesus to the world. We are to bring heaven to earth wherever we go!)
- The New Heaven and New Earth (Revelation 21-22) At the end of all things when God makes all things right.
So it’s in that context that we get to Mark 14.
“Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”” – Mark 14:1-2 NIV
Remember how earlier in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus would tell people He healed not to tell others? It was because He had a plan to spread the message that the Kingdom of God is near and He planned to finally let them capture him and kill him over Passover.
Now Jesus didn’t mind people knowing His identity. He was on the road to Jerusalem to confront the power of sin and death on the cross.
Once He died on the cross, rose from the dead, and ascended to the right hand of the Father to reign over this New Kingdom, the message became “the kingdom of God is here!”
The Kingdom of Heaven is here now! God’s space and humanity’s space overlaps through the people who follow Jesus as we have His Spirit within us! Everywhere we go we take the Kingdom of God or Kingdom of Heaven as it’s also known with us!
I was taught that His Kingdom is not yet fully here in its fullness but that it’s already here!
The phrase used to describe the Kingdom of God is “already but not yet.” I have to admit the emphasis seemed to be more on the “not yet” than the “already”!
The new Kingdom began with the resurrection of Jesus! He’s alive!
He had a new body that the disciples could touch, and a new body that could walk through walls and appear miles away. And one day when Jesus returns we will be resurrected with the same kind of supernatural yet very real body to live in a new heaven and earth.
Until then, Jesus now reigns over this new Kingdom at the right hand of the Father right now! This Kingdom is advancing through people who have surrendered their lives and follow Jesus.
This should change how we live and how we see the world!
It’s like recording your favorite sports team playing a game. Before watching it you found out that your team won. You start watching it and they are behind. You don’t panic. You know they will come back and win, but you watch because you don’t know how they will do it!
As followers of Jesus, we know the end of the story! One day Jesus will return and all will be made right in the world! Evil will be no more as justice will be done! There will only be goodness and beauty and light and love! There will be a union of heaven and earth where there will be no more crying or pain!
We shouldn’t fret when evil in our world seems to prevail. Jesus warned us that very thing would happen. We should live like we know Jesus has won!
This is important to remember in our lives!
With that notice what happened next!
First, we will see…
Worship Beyond the Norm
“While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.” – Mark 14:3-5 NIV
A woman anoints Jesus with expensive perfume, pouring it out in a lavish act of devotion, while others criticize her for her waste.
This moment was significant for so many reasons! First, anointing someone in this way was not usually done at a dinner party, nor was it so expensive. The woman who we discover is Mary in another one of the Gospels, could not help herself! She was so overcome with gratitude for who Jesus was in her life.
This was so unusual that people were shocked! She spent a year’s wages on this perfume only to pour it out on someone who didn’t seem to be interested in getting the crowds to make Him a king and He was still very much alive!
The equivalent would be buying some fine wine that’s worth your entire year’s salary and breaking it on the ground rather than sharing it with everyone!
A second principle we can apply from this passage is sometimes God wants us to…
Go Big
The woman’s act is over-the-top, and that’s exactly what makes it so beautiful. She doesn’t hold back—she gives the best she has.
So let’s make this personal.
If you were to show love for Jesus like this woman did, what would it be?
Are you giving Jesus your best or just your leftovers? Ask God to help you love Him in ways that are bold and sacrificial, just like this woman.
In going big, her story is still being told to this day! She had no idea the impact she would have.
The same can be true for you and me.
Maybe God is calling you to something big, and the impact will reverberate far beyond what you can imagine!
Maybe God is calling you to say yes to a trip overseas with one of our Go Teams.
Maybe God is inviting you to become a leader at Gateway to start a group to help reach your neighbors or co workers.
Maybe God is calling you to ask a friend out to lunch to have a heart to heart because you are concerned with the direction she or he is heading.
Another principle we can learn from this passage is that Sacrifice for Growth.
What’s the most sacrificial thing you could offer Jesus today? It doesn’t always have to be money—maybe it’s time or a talent you’ve been holding back.
Sometimes God invites us to go big but other times He asks us to trust Him in a very personal yet profound way. a quiet, simple one? Both going big and quiet, simple devotion have value, but Jesus loves when we give wholeheartedly!
What do you sense God wanting you to offer Him today out of gratitude for the love He’s shown to you?
You know, those of us who grew up in the USA in the South or Midwest were fortunate to grow up in an environment where Christianity was mainstream. If you grew up in certain parts of Central or South America or Africa or even in Asia, you may have grown up in a Christian family or neighborhood. There are certain advantages to that as you can find faith at a young age and build on that foundation from your childhood.
The downside is we could be caught up in a version of cultural Christianity that lacks the fullness of the message of Jesus and the power that He offers. I’ve always been so inspired by people who come to Christ in environments where saying “yes” to Jesus might mean persecution, being rejected by your family, or even being seen as less than in society. Maybe that’s been your experience. Following Jesus cost you credibility in your field or cost you relationships.
In the end, I imagine you’ve discovered following Jesus is worth that sacrifice.
What I’ve found in my life, is that following Jesus means daily dying to myself. To grow to become more like Jesus means surrendering more and more to Him. There are things in the past I didn’t realize were detrimental that today He wants to me to sacrifice.
Every good gifts comes from God.
Have you ever considered all the good gifts God has given you?
God created you on purpose and with a purpose. You can discover the fullness of the life He has to offer you when you give your life to Him!
Perhaps God is inviting you to surrender your cultural version of churchianity for a more sincere faith.
Perhaps He is wanting you to move your view of Jesus as a set of beliefs you’ve agreed to in your mind but haven’t really followed with your heart.
Perhaps you sense He’s wanting you to move from being someone who is exploring God to actually experiencing God.
For all three of these possibilities, Simply ask God to forgive you. Acknowledge that you need what Jesus did on the cross to count for you.
If you make that decision today, then let us know with the connect card as we want to help you make your relationship with God even more real than it’s ever been before.
Or maybe you are already in a genuine relationship with God. So you know God often asks us to trust Him with things others might never consider giving up.
In what ways have you taken back from God something you had given up before?
In what ways have you turned a gift from God into an idol in your heart and life?
In what ways have you held back from serving or from leading or from giving?
Jesus is worth the sacrifice!
Whatever you surrender to Him, you will be so glad you did.
In this story, Mary had no regrets even when she faced opposition and persecution.
Consider her act of sacrificial love demonstrated in this act and consider how we, too, are called to offer our best to Jesus, even when it may seem costly.
Notice how Jesus responds to her detractors:
““Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”” – Mark 14:6-9 NIV
Jesus defends her, recognizing her act as one of true worship and preparation for His burial
Another principle we can apply from this story is we need to…
Prepare For The Future
She may have been anointing him as a future king, and she was but King of an invisible and spiritual Kingdom that manifests in very real and tangible ways through the work of His Church.
Let me give you a recent example of how God showed me how much He loves His church – our church specifically.
I had a supernatural experience at Notre Dame in Paris.
I know God can move anywhere, but I prayed God would reveal Himself to me during my time there.
I felt compelled to stay longer than the rest of our group. Some of that time included looking at the artwork, visiting the treasury, journaling, and praying.
I felt compelled to pray for my family and for as many people from Gateway Church that came to mind. I prayed for leaders, staff, volunteers, and friends at all 3 campuses.
I was interrupted by the 12pm mass, so then I decided to participate in that. But it was all in French so then I started to leave, but then I considered the Eucharist. Perhaps that would be the meaningful experience I had prayed for, so I went back.
I was near the front and was completely distracted by the tourists taking videos and pictures even as phones were not allowed in the middle section – especially during Mass.
And then I heard the loudest ring I had ever heard in my life! My wife called! She had set her ringtone as wedding bells, so everyone turned to look at me. I tried to turn off the ringer only to miss the correct button at first!
So then something crazy happened!
As I was walking to the front door to leave and to call Deborah back, I ran into a family from Gateway! Like literally, they entered at the exact moment I was about to walk past the front door!
What are the odds that I would stay longer then I would leave and return and then leave again only to step into the same spot at the exact time?!
I definitely sensed God reminding me of His presence in my life and in the life of our church!
And do you want to know what I was praying for you about?
I have been praying that God would tear down the walls between us and His presence.
In my own life and in my family and in my church family, I am praying that we would experience more of God’s presence, His peace, His love, His joy, and all of who He is in our lives.
I have been asking God to show us ways that we need to turn back to Him.
I have been praying we would fall so in love with Jesus, that He becomes our priority.
I have been praying that we become fully devoted followers of Jesus who help others become followers of Jesus.
In other words, I am praying we would become more like Jesus and that we become disciples of Jesus and help make disciples.
I am praying for nothing less than spiritual awakening in our hearts and through our hearts to those we love, to our city, and to our nation.
I am praying that we become more devoted to Jesus than we are to the things of this world which tend to distract us from Him.
In the passage we have been looking at today, Jesus points out to everyone in the room that the woman who was demonstrating her devotion to Him was also anointing Him for burial.
She may not have fully known the extent her act of devotion would communicate. This wasn’t just a present act of devotion—it’s a prophetic gesture that points to His coming sacrifice.
In Jesus’ time, anointing was often done for a king, and it’s also a preparation for burial, but He was still alive!
She had the foresight to act in faith and the implications of her actions were bigger than she could have imagined!
The revolution Jesus came to begin was not just to help a small nation at a certain point in history. He came as the fulfillment of the promises of God to become the snake crusher who would reverse the curse mentioned in Genesis 3.
He fulfilled God’s promise to bless Abraham and through Him bless all nations!
He was the One who would be the One True Israel who could fulfill the Law so that the people of Israel would no longer be in exile and the rest of the world (the Gentiles) would be free from the powers of darkness, free from idolatry.
How can you prepare today for the future God is calling you to? Whether it’s investing in relationships, skills, or serving, what “anointing” might God be prompting you toward?
“Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.” – Mark 14:10-11 NIV
The final principle we learn from this passage is that when you do the right thing as Mary did or as Jesus was doing, we can face opposition. We need to remember it’s more important to…
Honor God rather than Please People.
We discover that Judas was one of the main people enraged by this situation. In fact this was the final straw for him so he decided to betray Jesus.
In another version of this story with a few more details in Matthew? mentions Judas wanted the money spent on this perfume to be donated to their efforts so he could steal some of it.
Some scholars have even wondered if this moment took place in Judas’ fathers home. Judas’ father was named Simon and perhaps he was upset that Jesus would allow this to happen in his father’s home as what the woman did was highly unusual!
Now Simon the Leper had an unfortunate nickname as more than likely he used to have leprosy but now he had been healed (otherwise he could mot have hosted this event or even lived in his house as leprosy was very contagious.
It’s like the kid who had the embarrassing nickname only to grow up and still be called that name. (Examples of silly nicknames for people that stuck…??)
So why would Judas betray him if he was embarrassed or disappointed? Some suggest he thought he was forcing Jesus’ hand thinking that once Jesus was arrested then He finally rise up against the authorities and become the kind of king he wanted him to be.
Or perhaps He had finally realized Jesus wasn’t going to be the military or political leader he wanted him to be so this was another way to cash in for himself.
Or perhaps Judas was only following Jesus for what Jesus could do for him rather than because he had an actual authentic relationship with him. It was more transactional, more selfish.
If we aren’t careful we can fall into that trap. We love Jesus when He answers our prayers the way we want Him to answer them, but we turn away when He doesn’t.
As we travel down this road that only Jesus traveled, let’s pause to consider how we might respond.
Jesus demonstrated His extraordinary and extravagant love for you and me by willingly going to the cross.
How will you respond to His love today?
In what ways is God calling us to worship Jesus with our lives?
Will you…
Worship beyond the Norm
Go Big
Sacrifice for Growth
Prepare for the Future
Honor God rather than Please People
or maybe all of the Above?
